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Tuesday, 27 November 2012

Falsifiability

Falsifiability is a key feature of all sciences. It is the principle that for a theory to be considered scientific it must be able to be proven wrong via scientific testing, in this case of the KTT apparatus. The Oxford Dictionary of Psychology states that "a theory lacking this property does not belong to science". Many people see this as a hard principle to understand, because surely as humans we want knowledge which cannot be proven wrong. But this kind of knowledge would impede our understanding of the universe and everything which inhabits it. So for us to better understand the world we live in, it is important for any theory to be falsifiable. In Krugel's case, he could not show any scientific data to support his findings.
Therefore Krugel's KTT cannot be considered scientific, and explains why
the Portuguese police never inspected the area he said to contain
Madeleine's body. Other aspects of modern life are not supported by
scientific evidence, but are widely believed by the public such as
horoscopes and homeopathy. But again by applying the principle of
falsifiability we can see that these should not be trusted as they are
classified as not belonging to science. One such area which cannot be
falsified is the area of psychics, in particular mediums. Mediums
are people who claim to be able to talk to those who are dead, and will
often tell you what your late loved ones are saying for a small fee.
One well known medium is Sally Morgan.